Former chief of staff to then-NAB CEO Rosemary Rogers ‘guilty’

Former NAB executive staffer Rosemary Rogers. Picture: AAP

Rosemary Rogers, the former chief of staff to then-NAB chief executive Andrew Thorburn, has pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial benefit by deception.

Sentencing is now imminent over the $14.3m worth of invoices that were processed, knowingly overinflated or false, which caused a huge financial disadvantage to the Melbourne-headquartered bank.

The Department of Public Prosecutions filed an amended 38 charge sheet at her Sydney court hearing on Thursday.

Rogers, donning a professional black pant suit, attended the Central local court hearing with her barrister Catherine Newman, from Wardell Chambers, indicating there was “a plea of guilty”.

The former 20-year NAB staffer, who’d previously been excused from attending under her Melbourne bail conditions, was in the same court room as her co-accused Helen Rosamond, the Sydney-based head of former NAB executive services contractor The Human Group.

The two did not speak with the tanned Rosamond arriving early and taking a front row seat in the crowded courtroom.

Rogers arrived just before the scheduled hearing time with her legal team taking a seat down the back.

The matter was pushed down the mention list with the DPP criticised by Judge Graeme Henson for their late arrival.

The Rosamond matter was adjourned for a fortnight as the DPP had given her legal team three compact discs on the eve of the Thursday morning mention.

Rosamond’s barrister Matthew Breeze, from Garfield Barwick Chambers, advised that the discs had 1000 telephone calls, and text messages on them. The late service warranted the adjournment, Judge Henson noted.

Rogers was arrested in March last year, and fronted the court two weeks later.

The final 38 Rogers’ charges between 2013 and late 2017 included corruptly receiving benefits including accommodation on numerous occasions at Crown Towers and a $1446 dinner downstairs at Heston Blumenthal. There was a Polperro winery party, Fijian and European holidays and a $44,900 Wolgan Valley holiday.

There was a $172,000 BMW X5 received as an inducement from Rosamond to Rogers and a $115,000 Chaparral boat. There was a $91,000 Bunkhouse caravan and marina fees too.

There were $468,000 renovations to her Bellbrae holiday home and the $380,000 deposit to help purchase her former Williamstown abode.

Rogers, who remains on bail, will be sentenced at a later date.